Brian Kelly is going back to Notre Dame, becoming the third college coach to rebuff the Eagles. At this rate, Dabo Swinney might not pick up the phone if Jeff Lurie calls.

Don’t worry, Eagles fans. When it comes to landing a head man, history shows college coaches aren’t nearly as successful as NFL assistants, who in turn can’t coach a lick compared to retread head coaches.

Except, of course, when none of that turns out to be true. Which usually is the case.

“There is no question we spent a considerable amount of time and effort looking at who we thought were the best collegiate candidates for our head coaching job,” read an Eagles statement.

There is also no question Lurie has campus fever. College coaches are the latest hiring trend, and the NFL is nothing if not trendy.

Jim Harbaugh caused this one, with an assist from Pete Carroll. Now everybody wants the next college genius, even if that college is Syracuse.

Everybody had the hots for Oregon’s Kelly and his point-a-minute offense. It’s the most innovative and enticing scheme since that Fun ‘N Gun offense Steve Spurrier devised.

Oh yeah, Spurrier. The Redskins gave him a $25 million contract. Steve Superior rode in from Gainesville with his golf clubs and a bunch of Gator castoffs. He left two years later as the ultimate cautionary campus tale.

As if Bud Wilkinson, Dennis Erickson, Lou Holtz, Bobby Petrino and Lane Kiffin weren’t enough. There are a lot more, but you get the idea.

College coaches bring big names but little guarantee of success. The Eagles are safer going after the next guy on their supposed list, Seattle defensive coordinator Gus Bradley.

Never mind that only Peter King has ever heard of him. Bradley would flourish like other unknowns who just needed a shot, like John Harbaugh, Mike Tomlin, Mike McCarthy, Mike Smith and Sean Payton.

Andy Reid was that guy when Philadelphia hired him in 1999 from Green Bay. He was the hot young fruit off a coaching tree (Mike Holmgren’s) who had worked with a great quarterback.